The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-30
AMlTa'S NOMINATION
FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF PUB
Lie INSTRUCTION
Occasions q Rumpus In the Senate,
Because He FayOrs Federal
Aid to Education.
ESPECIAL TO THE ArPEAL.I

ESPECIAL TO THE AffkAL.l
NASHVILLE, Tenn, January 29.-In
the language OF the ungodly, there
was .he devil to pay in ths executive
session of the Senate today wben the
nomination of ]. NJ. Smith, OF Jack
son, for Supsrintendentof Public In.
strucliop, came up for coDtirma ion.
Smith is an outspoken advocate OF
Federal aid to the schools, and is be-
sides Dem G. rat of the Randall type.
These facts &c emed to arouse the ire OF
those Senators who are opposed TO
bath, and the proverbial monkey and
parrot time was as the stilluess OF
death compared t. the fracas that en-
sued when the nomination came up.
Senston Thompson and Tosley led the
forces in oppositioo 10 confirmation,
and as the former had sworn yestet-
day to defeat the app jintment, he OK.
pressed himself in the m let vigorous
sort Of English on lhs subject. Senator
Lewis, who was pushing Bob Gates
for the place, charged t1at Gov. Tay.
lor had pr1mist d him to give Gates all
the time he wanted in VIII ch TO tils
his indorsem Ants, and it wss on
L L}wis's personal appeal that the
Senate deferred action until after tbs
recass The Governor had not in
tsndsd to send the nomination
of Mr.. Smith to the Senate until
after the recess, but when IL
was learned that the gentleman had
been selec ed and that ne was q friend
OF national aiu some indiscreet people
on the other eide went about threaten
ing al sorts of DIRE vengeance sgAiust
the Governor il he made that eesec-
ton. Now, Gov. Bob can hear as well
as anyone, and when he learned oi
thete illumination he sent Smith'e
name in at oace and has thereby
caused soma people to grow very
angry. He denies that he made
aoy promises to Gates about
the smsttsr, but it not
giving himself any tronb'e or losing
any sleep over the threlts of Smiths
opponents. OF course Smith will be
Confirmed, and it may be set down az
certain that Gov. Taylor will not re-
woke the appointment under any SORT
of pressure.
Senator Sparks, OF Rutherford, went
home this evening as mad as a wet
hen. He swesrs that in the debst, in
the executive session Speaker Ewing
fl ,tiy refused to permit him to speak.
"In short, sir, he gagged me--yes, sir,
gagged" is the way the i'ate Senator
put it as he boarded .he train for
Muifreesboro.
A strong effort was made by Lynn,
OF Shelby, to discuss the .nomin4 ton
of Smith in open session, but mo.
ton to that effect was defeated by a
slim majority. The opponents Of aid to
educstion couldn't stand the thought
OF having the writing exposed to
public gazs, ard as there wes no or
gsniz,d attempt at removing the ban
OF secrecy, the gag was kept on.
1t seems the specific charges were
made against Smith to the effect that
he had acted dish morally 10 giving II
out that he was not q csncida.e and
was working for T. II. Paihe, while in
reality he was pulling the wires for
himself. The other charge is that while
he was M minated as from West Ten
nessee, he in reality belongs In
Eist Tennessee. As above
stated, Gov. Taylor is not
worried over the matter. He says he
can stand fight II saction OF the
Senate proposes one, and he will not
back down an inch. This tiff over the
G )vernor'9 first appointment is the
gossip of the city tonight, and the
universal opinion ia that Gov. Blb
will be Governor, and not figurehead
to be ruled by tie ngchine men, with
Duuc Cooper at their he ID